God’s Answers to the Skeptics Opinions by Dr. Glenn Jago

Traditions are often so embedded in the fabric of life, that to change them is either painfully complicated or downright impossible. When it comes to the practice of religion, however, the challenge of altering a long-standing belief is strangely complicated. For instance, to believe for many years that salvation is a meritorious reward resulting from ongoing performance, and then discover that it is unbiblical, could become problematic in making the shift. The challenge comes from the questions, what is the truth and how do we begin to determine it? After all, it is hard to shed all the fragments of former thinking, to hold to the newly discovered revelation.

The Jewish believers held for centuries a longstanding belief that any Gentile who desires to enjoy a relationship with God, must first proselytize to Judaism. The aftermath of Cornelius’ salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit created a firestorm of confusion and skepticism. Since the results were the work of God and not a man, how is God going to deal with this complexity? What doctrine needs discarding and what needs retaining? How did Peter defend his action?